Grey Traveller
"Devils wait in the darkness... but which devil will you focus on?" Event 1 As you pass near a darkened alleyway one evening, a blackened and misshapen hand grasps you, pulling you close to the darkness. "You stand at the precipice of ruin! The dark lord has taken an interest in your destiny and even now is engineering your downfall!" The hunched creature pulls you with surprising strength further into the shadows. "But I can help! There is magic that can help you beat him at his own game - we can craft it, you and I. Doing so may test your spirit, but that's better than eternal darkness, hey?" He looks up at you, his yellow eyes glowing faintly. "Do not fall to despair - we will meet again soon." Event 2 You are camped on the side of the road one moonless night when a familiar pair of yellow eyes suddenly appears beyond the light of the campfire. "You have glimpsed your doom, I take it? The curse is in the cards, you know." He limps from the shadows to sit next to you, although somehow the fire fails to illuminate his form at all. "The spell that will be your salvation requires several unique ingredients," the cloaked figure explains. "The first task will be to harvest the horn of a diabolic creature." "I know of one that will be easy to overcome," he says, producing a silver whistle from his cloak. "Strike quickly though," he pauses to add, "or it may escape and you will spend countless lifetimes regretting it." The whistle releases a sharp note and a fiery portal appears between the two of you. A short, horned creature steps out as the portal closes again. "Hey Theophilus, you called?" the devil asks, looking up at him. The child sized creature seems oblivious to your presence for the moment. 1) Strike the creature from behind. :With a mighty blow to the head, you knock the devil unconscious. :Soon you have removed one of the beast's horns and handed it to Theophilus, who places it in a sack made from the same dark material as his cloak. :"That will do for the first element. I must immediately prepare it," Theophilus says, turning to leave. :He regards the limp form of the hellspawn. :"Do not be here when it wakes up, mortal. It will be angry and you have not the means to kill it." :Encounter ends. 2) Ask the creature for its horn. :"Ah! What? You want my horn?" the little devil exclaims, looking around. :"You brought me here so this mortal could harvest my horn? I thought you were my friend!" :A) Attempt to strike the little Devil. ::Precision Gambit (1 tiny moving Success) ::Success :::With a mighty blow to the head, you knock the devil unconscious. :::Soon you have removed one of the beast's horns and handed it to Theophilus, who places it in a sack made from the same dark material as his cloak. :::"That will do for the first element. I must immediately prepare it," Theophilus says, turning to leave. :::He regards the limp form of the hellspawn. :::"Do not be here when it wakes up, mortal. It will be angry and you have not the means to kill it." :::Encounter ends. ::Failure :::The little devil disappears in a puff of smoke and ash. :::Theophilus shakes his head with a sigh. "You have cost me, mortal. But any punishment I inflict would be nothing compared to your fate now." :::He clicks his fingers and you suddenly wake up, alone by the side of the road. :::Encounter ends. :B) Attempt to talk to the little Devil. ::The little devil disappears in a puff of smoke and ash. ::Theophilus shakes his head with a sigh. "You have cost me, mortal. But any punishment I inflict would be nothing compared to your fate now." ::He clicks his fingers and you suddenly wake up, alone by the side of the road. ::Encounter ends. Event 3 You sit resting next to a river one afternoon when Theophilus's dark form rises slowly from the water and limps toward you. He appears to be completely dry when he stops before you. "Mortals often contemplate their own doomed existence in the light of the setting sun, but yours is more doomed than most. We should make some progress on your spell." 1) Ask what is required next. 2) Ask why he is helping you. :"Ha!" the stranger speaks, "I have offered to help you with no mention of reward for myself - of course you are suspicious of my intent!" :He stares into the distance for a moment, before saying, "I have my own reasons for seeing a poor, helpless soul escape the clutches of the Lord of Evil." "The next step is normally as difficult to achieve as obtaining a devil horn, but luck is with us again - the agent of your downfall has provided us with exactly what we need." He gestures and your skin begins to glow. "To possess so many blessings is rare for a mortal - I shall add their power to the mix." Theophilus opens a small vial toward you and with a sickening tug you feel some part of you torn away. The player must choose 3 Blessings to discard. "This will do nicely," Theophilus says with satisfaction as he seals the urn. "Never lose hope, mortal!" he calls as he returns to the river. "The Dark One may still lose his prize yet!" Event 4 One day you come across a man wrapped in a torn grey cloak, sitting on a rock by the path through a sparse wood. "Greetings, mortal," Theophilus utters as you stop. "The next element of your magical salvation is approaching," he begins, without bothering to stand. "You will meet a traveller on the outskirts of the forest - trade with him to obtain the feather of an angel." "Do not reveal what use you would have for it. I wish you luck." Theophilus sits quietly as you continue on. Not long later you meet a dwarf, bristling with bags, sacks and other knick-knacks. "Let's trade!" he suggests. "I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial transaction!" 1) Trade for an angel feather. "As it happens, I do have an angel feather that I traded from a kobold mystic in the western provinces. Do you need it for anything in particular..?" the dwarf asks, shrewdly. You begin the negotiation. Chance Cards Gambit (2 Success, 2 Failure) Success :You manage to convince the dwarf that the feather is probably a fake, worth little more than a few beads and the torn half of a map you find in your pack. :The dwarf is barely out of sight when Theophilus is suddenly besides you, saying "That dwarf has never had such a valuable prize in his possession and perhaps never will again." :"But now it is time for the spell to be completed." :Theophilus takes the feather and adds it to the spell concoction. The vial gives a silent, bright flash then returns to normal. :"At last!" Theophilus cries in excitement. "After all these years I will be free!" :You lunge forward, reaching for the vial, but Theophilus is already opening it. :Precision Gambit (1 tiny moving Success, 1 medium moving Success, 3 small stationary Huge Failure) :Success ::"No!" Theophilus cries as you wrestle the vial from his grasp. ::"Please, mortal. You don't understand - this is my only chance for freedom!" ::1) Ask that he explain himself. :::"I was like you once, full of purpose and an inflated sense of destiny," Theophilus says bitterly. "I dared to stake my soul on a card game." :::"I have been enslaved since before the Empire formed, before even the Dragon Slayers waged their war. I have seen and done things that would drive you to madness!" :::"Without that vial, I shall suffer countless lifetimes more." ::2) Drink the contents of the vial. :::The player is blessed with Eternal Hope. :::"No!" Theophilus exclaims. "You have condemned me to eternal torment!" :::The Dealer draws a Shade of Skulls. :::The player enters Combat. :::"Death is no release for me..." Theophilus whispers as he fades away. "And soon it won't be for you, either!" ::3) Give him the vial. :::"You... give it to me willingly? I do not know your every deed and exploit hero, but I do know that this is greatest mercy you will ever perform." :::Theophilus drinks the contents of the vial. :::"I now have one last game to play that I may win my freedom," he says as he fades away. :::The player gains 2 Fame. :Failure ::Theophilus slips from your grasp, fading away like a shadow in the morning sun, the vial still in his hands. ::"Thank-you mortal, for you have given me the key to escaping my doom. Spare yourself the same fate! Do not think you may outwit the lord of darkness! Refuse to play his game!" ::You attempt to call after Theophilus to reason with him, but he is already gone. :Huge Failure ::As you and Theophilus struggle for the vial is slips from the fray and shatters on the ground. ::Theophilus gives an unholy shriek. "You have doomed us both!" ::The Dealer draws a Shade of Skulls. ::The player enters Combat. ::"Death is no release for me..." Theophilus whispers as he fades away. "And soon it won't be for you, either!" Failure :"Magic to win a game with a devil?!" the dwarf exclaims, as you clumsily reveal your intended purpose for the feather. :"Sorry, but i couldn't possibly part with such a treasure!" :"You have my pity if some demon or other has taken an interest in you, but it is always up to you to accept the deal - just say no!" :The dwarf hurries away, muttering something about making "the trade of a lifetime". : :The dwarf is barely out of sight when Theophilus is suddenly beside you, saying, "And now your fate is sealed. Farewell, mortal." :He limps away to the trees, his gray cloaked form dissolving into shadow. Notes Theophilus means "friend of God" or "loved by God". It is the name of the person to whom the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are addressed.Theophilus (biblical) - Wikipedia References Category:Encounters Category:Challenge-Specific Category:The Devil Category:Chance Cards Gambits